Sheet inserting apparatus for printing presses



March 10, 1953 P. 1 ToLLlsoN 2,631,033

SHEET INSERTING APPARATUS FOR PRI'NTING PRESSES Filed July 6, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet l \l\ ATTORNEYS March 10, 1953 P. 1 ToLLlsoN SHEET INSERTING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING PRESSES 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 6, 1951 5m. mw, ASS NYM@ March 10, 1953 P. ToLLlsoN SHEET INSERTING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed July 6, 1951 (f7 E-E lf3 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR PAUL L. TOLL ISDN BYMIMM 25k/uvam ATTORNE March l0, 1953 P. l.. ToLLlsoN 2,631,033

SHEET INSRRTING APPARATUS PoR PRINTING PRESSES Filed July e, 1951 6 Sheets. sheet 4 v PAUL-L'TOLLISON ATTORNEY March 10, 1953 P. L. 'roLLlsoN l2,631,033

SHEET INSERTING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed July 6. 1951 I 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 j* A i INVENTOR `PAUL L.TOLLI5ON ATTORNE. 5

March 10, 1953 P. L. ToLLlsoN SHEET INSERTING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING PRESSES Filed July e, 1951 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 NEN-ron. PAUL L.'ToLL|s0N ATToRN s Patented Mar. 10, 195.3

SHEET INSERTING APPARATUS FOR PRINTING PRESSES Paul L. Tollison, North Plainfield, N. J., assignor to Wood Newspaper Machinery Corporation, Plainfield, N. J., a corporation of Virginia Application July 6, 1951, Serial No. 235,446

Claims. 1

This invention relates to apparatus for inserting into contact with one or more main printed Webs of a printing press page forming sheets cut from a pre-printed web, and more particularly concerns apparatus of this nature for inserting such cut sheets in accurate page registry with the page forming sheet lengths of the main web.

High quality multi-color printing, which requires accurate registry of successive printings of 'the same illustration in different colors, cannot be obtained at the high web speeds at which modern newspaper presses operate. Newspapers are desirably made up of a plurality of single color or black and white sheets consolidated with a lesser number of multi-color sheets. Accordingly, a newspaper containing some high quality multi-color sheets could be produced by preprinting the multi-color portion at the low speed requisite to high quality, then rewinding the pre-printed web into a roll, and thereafter combining the pre-printed web from the rewound roll with the high speed single color web or webs. Such combining presents the problem of maintaining registry between the inserted pages of the pre-printed multi-color web and the pages of the single color webs while the Webs are travelling at the high speeds customary or requisite in modern single color newspaper presses. Even though the page forming sheet lengths of the multi-color web are, when printed, of uniform size, the web length may, and usually does, change due to loss or gain of moisture or other causes during rewinding, storage, and unwinding before the webs are combined, and such changes usually are not uniform throughout the rewound web length. If the pre-printed web is fed at a constant speed, such changes in its length change the position of the printed page relative to the adjacent printed page of the main or single color web or webs. Due to the high speed at which the webs travel, any difference in page forming sheet length between the preprinted and main webs produces a rapidly multiplying lack of page registry which cannot be effectively corrected by previously known means without tearing of the web.

Mechanism is known for maintaining webs in registry by the use of light responsive means governing web speed varying means. When such mechanism is applied to an arrangement in which lemofcutting the sheets from the pre-printed web and consolidating them with the main web or Webs without tearing or Vbuckling the inserted sheets as a consequence oi the changes in the speed of travel of the pre-printed web that keep it in page registry with the main webs.

It is the object of the present invention to provide apparatus that inserts or combines with a high speed main web or webs, sheets cut from a pre-printed and rewound web while maintaining page registry between the inserted sheets and main webs and Without tearing or buckling the inserted sheets or the pre-printed web from which they are cut. According to the invention, this is accomplished by feeding the preprinted web at a velocity that is variably controlled to correspond, page for page, with the velocity of the main web or webs, and cutting page forming sheets from the pre-printed web and combining them with the main web or webs while maintaining such 'sheets under suitable tension regardless of whether their rate of travel is at the moment of cutting being retarded or accelerated to maintain page registry. The variable web speed control may be obtained by the use of known mechanism referred to above which scans register marks disposed in predetermined relation to printed pages on the pre-printed web, comp ares such scannings with scannings of means representing the positions of the main web pages. and speeds up or slows down the pre-printed Web feeding mechanism suiciently to maintain the page registry required. A cutting couple, driven in timed relation with the main web printing mechanism, cuts sheets from the speed regulated pre-printed web and includes a transfer cylinder with pins on its surface for piercing and so engaging the pre-printed web to carry it along the peripheral surface to the point where the sheet is cut from it. Means are provided for driving the transfer cylinder at a peripheral ve? velocity slightly in excess of the highest linear velocity to which the pre-printed web is accelerated in maintaining page registry so that the web piercing pins on the transfer cylinder advance relative to the web before it is cut and maintain it under tension, tearing small slits in this web as a consequence of such advance. The length of these slits varies when the speed of the pre-printed web is varied to keep the printed pages thereon in registry with the pages of the main web or webs. The increase in surface speed of the transfer cylinder over the maximum speed at which the pre-printed web is driven is preferably produced by making this cylinder somewhat longer in sheet carrying peripheral length than the page forming sheet lengths of the pre-printed web. In other words,'

the periphery of the transfer cylinder is slightly longer than the maximum length of pre-printed web fed by the Variable speed feeding means during each revolution of the transfer cylinder.

I have found that if the peripheral length of each sheet carrying section of the transfer cylinder is approximately one-fourth of one percent to one and 'one-half percent longer than the standard page forming sheet length at which the pre-printed web was originally printed, the foregoing result is accomplished. With this arrangement, the pins on the transfer cylinder 'always maintain the pre-printed web under tension regardless of the acceleration or deceleration of the pre-printed web by the variable web speed control means incident to maintaining pageY registry.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, the page forming sheets cut from the pre-'printed web are removed from the transfer cylinder by a pin carrying collecting cylinder and are thereon consolidated with the main web or Webs and also elage the 'collecting cylinder. The pins on the collecting cylinder stab both the pre-printed web sheets and the main web or webs and tear out of these webs, vthus forming torn tabs that lock the sheets 'cut from the preeprinted web to the main web 'or webs to prevent displacement of the out sheets from page registry as the consolidated sheets and webs pass to the folder.

In some cases, the page forming sheet lengths of a pre-printed color 'web may be slightly shorter than the page forming sheet lengths of the mainv single color web or webs with which sheets from the 'pre-printed web varevto be combined. Such short sheet lengths can be handled by my improved apparatus by reducing the peripheral diinension of the transfer cylinder in proportion to the reduction in page forming sheet length of the pre-printed web below the page forming sheet length of the main web or webs while still maintaining that peripheral dimension large enough to provide a transfer vcylinder surface speed slightly greater than the maximum speed to which the pre-printed web is accelerated in maintaining page 'registry This reduction in transfer cylinder periphery lowers the linear velocity of the 'sheets carried thereby, but the collecting cylinder that receives the cut pre-printed sheets from the transfer cylinder `operates at a surface velccityequal to the main web speed and so accelerates the cut sheets to that speed as they are removed from the transfer cylinder.

In the foregoing general discussion of the invention and in the following specific description of embodiments thereof, the pre-printed web is frequently referred to in the singular and in many cases only one 'web is employed for this purpose. It is, however, within the scope of the invention to insert two or vmore superimposed sheets cut from superimposed portions of a pre-'printed web, and `a typical arrangement for accomplishing this will be described. The term pre-printed web as 'used herein embraces such superimposed preprinted web portions.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic and simplified elevation of apparatus embodying the invention and associated web printing and feeding apparatus;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation, partly in section, of the sheet cutting and inserting mechanism of the apparatus shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. l;

Fig. iis 'a detailed and further enlarged eleva- 4 tion of the sheet cutting and inserting mechanism shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional View taken along the line 5 5 of Fig, 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation of the collecting cylinder, indicating the action of the pins in locking an inserted sheet to superimposed webs between which it is inserted;

Fig. 7 is a plan View of a part of a sheet of the .pre-printed web, showing openings torn in the marginal end portion thereof by the pins of the transfer cylinder;

Fig. S is a plan View of a portion of the preprinted web showing the register marks thereon;

Fig. Sis an 'enlarged elevation of the sheet cutting and inserting mechanism showing the selector mechanism for determining the position of the cutting mechanism in maintaining page registry between the pre-printed web and the main webs;

y Fig. l0 is a plan View of the selector mechanism shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. il is a plan View of a modified forni of apparatus embodying the invention incorporating means 'for super-imposing sheets cut from `the preprinted web and inserting them in registry with the main webs; l

Fig. 12 is an elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. ll.

Referring to the drawings, V have illustrated in diagrammatic form two printing units A and B of known construction, each comprising impression cylinders l and 2 cooperating with plate cylinders 3 and t, by means of 'which successive pages are printed on both sides of 'tl-ie respective main webs 5i and ii.

A rewound web roll l comprises the pre-printed web 8 which has been pre-printed at relatively low speed, preferably in two or more colors, in order to obtain high quality color printing. When originally printed, this Web had a fixed and standard page forming sheet length which is designated a in Fig. 8. Because of the absorption or loss of moisture vand other causes, the page forming sheet lengthof the pre-printed web 8 delivered from the roll l varies slightly throughout the web length Vfrom the standard length at which it was originally printed, 'and these variations result in slightly overlength and underlength sheet lengths at different 'parts of this web. The Vpre-printed web 3 has register marks l5 printed along one margin, and in the disclosed embodiment there are three such register marks for each page forming sheet length of this web.

The several impression and plate cylinders of the printing units A and B vare driven in synchronism, as is customary, from a common driving element, hereillustrated as a power driven shaft 9 connected to the two printing units through bevel gears IU and H and vertical shafts l2.

The main web 5 printed in the unit A passes over rollers i4 and l5, around a part of the surface of a collecting cylinder iE, under 'the rollers Il and then between the drag roller lf3 and propeller roller I9 lonto a conventional former 20. The main webb, printed by 'th'eunit B, passes over the rollers 2i, 22, 23, 24 and 25, then onto the surface of the collecting cylinder i6, under the roller l1 and so between the `drag roller i8 and propeller roller 'i 9 onto the former 20.

The pre-#printed web 8 runs from the roll l over the rollers 26, 21 and 28, through the feeder F between the driven'roller ZS'an'd pressure roller 35, around the roller 30 under the driven roller 3| thereof and onto the surface of the transfer cylinder 33 against which the web is passed by a spring pressed roller 34. The pre-printed web feeder F is driven from the main printing unit drive shaft 9 through bevel gears 35 and 36, shafts 3l and 38, a differential gear unit 39, shaft 4G, bevel gears il and a spur gear 42 which engages gears :i3 and il@ on the shafts of the driven rollers 2i) and 3l (Figs. 1, 2 and 3). The differential gear unit 3Q forms a part of a known mechanism for varying the speed at which the pre-printed web is fed in order to maintain page registry between the pre-printed web 8 and the main webs 5 and 5, as is hereinafter explained.

As the pre-printed web 8 passes between the rollers 3i and 32, its marginal portion where the register marks i5 are located is scanned by a scanner S of known construction comprising essentially a light source it and a photo-cell if to receive light reflected from the source 45 by the web 8. With this arrangement, impulses are received by the photo-cell 51 when each of the register marks yt5 on the pre-printed web pass the scanner. The scanner' S is preferably mounted for adjustment longitudinally of the web 8 bymeans of a fixed bar 48 on which the scanner slides and a feed screw lig, threadedly engaging the scanner and rotatable by a hand wheel 55. The scanner S forms a part of a known page registry maintaining mechanism.

A cutting couple comprising the transfer cylinder 33 and a cooperating cutting cylinder 5l cuts successive page forming sheets from the pre-printed web 8. The transfer cylinder 33 shown has two resilient cutting blocks 52 and 53 at diametrically opposite points in its peripheral surface and a knife 55 on the cutting cylinder 5l cooperates successively with these blocks to cut sheets from the web S. The cutting cylinder 5l is half the size of the transfer cylinder 33 and rotates at twice the angular velocity of the transfer cylinder and thus at the same peripheral velocity of the transfer cylinder. The transfer cylinder 33 is provided with two sets of web engaging pins 55 and 56 of known construction which are operated by a stationary cam 5l adjacent one end of the cylinder through cam engaging rollers 513-53', crank arms 553-59', shafts Gil-6G and arms lil-6|. The shape of the cam 51 is such that each set of pins 55 and 5t is extended to pierce and so engage the web 8 at approximately the point X (Fig. 4) and is withdrawn to disengage the sheet cut from this web at approximately the point Y. The collecting cylinder i5 is provided with one set of sheet engaging pins 52 operated by a stationary cam 53 through a roller 6e, an arm 85, a shaft 655 and arms 65'. The collecting cylinder pins 62 are extended to pierce the main web 5 and the sheet cut from the pre-printed web 8 at approximately the point Y in Fig. 4, the ends of the extended pins E2 extending into grooves @i in the cylindrical surface of the transfer cylinder 33, as shown in Fig. 5. The pins 52 are not retracted until approximately the point indicated at Z in Fig. 4, so that these pins tear small tabs from the superimposed webs 5 and t and the interposed sheet cut from the pre-printed web 8, as shown at lli) in Fig. 6. The construction of the web engaging pins of the transfer cylinder 33 and the collecting cylinder I6 is known in the art and is disclosed, for example in Patent No. 1,834,666.

The cutting cylinder 5l and the collecting cylinder i 6 are driven in timed relation through the gears t3, 69 and 'l5 (Fig. 3), the gear 59 being xed to the shaft of the transfer cylinder 33. The transfer cylinder 33 is driven from the main drive shaft d through a suitable driving connection illustrated as the bevel gears ll, the shaft l2, the differential gear unit 73, the shaft "nl and the bevel gears l5. The arrangement is such that the transfer cylinder 33 and its associated cutting and collecting cylinders turn at an angular velocity which is in step, page for page, with the page forming sheet lengths of the main webs 5 and 6, printed in the units A and B. Thus, for each page forming operation of the units A and B, the transfer cylinder 33 makes a half revolution and the cutting and collecting cylinders 5i and i5 make one revolution.

In accordance with the present invention, means are provided for driving the transfer cylinder 33 at a surface speed or peripheral velocity slightly in excess of the highest linear velocity at which the pre-printed web 8 is propelled by the feeder F. The feeder F is driven, as hereinafter described, by known mechanism that accelerates x and decelerates the pre-printed web slightly to l the transfer cylinder 33 is from one quarter cf one percent to one and one-half percent longer than the length a of the page forming sheet lengths it carries as originally printed and before variations in length occur, then the peripheral velocity lof the transfer cylinder will always be slightly in excess of the linear velocity of the preprinted` web 8 despite acceleration of this web by the feeder F to keep it in page registry with the main webs 5 and 5. Since the transfer cylinder 33 carries two sheet lengths on its periphery, this means that the entire periphery of the cylinder 33 is one-quarter of one percent to one and one-half percent longer than twice the original page forming sheet length of the pre-printed web 8 before it has shrunk or elongated. With this construction, the length ai (Fig. 9) of each sheet carrying portion of the transfer cylinder is slightly longer than the page forming sheet length a (Fig. 8) of the pre-printed web t as originally printed and is longer than the maximum length of pre-printed web fed by the feeder F during each half revolution of the transfer cylinder. Thus, although the transfer cylinder 33 operates in synchrcnism page for page with the main webs 5 and its peripheral surface always moves at a slightly greater speed than the pre-printed web 8. As the web 8 is carried around the surface of the cylinder 33, the pins 55 and 55 tear small slots in the leading marginal edge of each sheet until it is cut from the web. These slots do not impair the finished product because they do not enter the printed portion of the page. The described arrangement maintains the pre-printed web t always in tension even while it is being accelerated to maintain page registry with the main webs 5 and 5.

The differential gear unit 'i3 is provided to permit initial setting of the cutting couple, including the transfer cylinder 33, in page registry with the main webs 5 and 6 so that sheets delivered thereby from the pre-printed web S will bev disposed in registry with the pages of the main webs. This differential gear unit is of known construction having a bevel gear IE secured to the drive input shaft '12 and engaging the bevel gears Ti and 18 rotatably carried in the ring or differential member T9 which also carries a worm gear 8B. The bevel gears ll and 18 engage a bevel gear 8l iixed to the output shaft lll. A worm 82 driven by a motor 83 engages the Worm gear 8e. The motor lili` may be energized 'to turn in either direction by suitable reversing switches, here illustrated as pushbutton switches 815 and 85. When the motor 83 is deenergized, the shafts i2 and 'le turn in unison at the same speed and if it is necessary to advance or retard the position of the cutting couple relative to the pages of the main webs and 5, this maybe done by opertaing the ymotor 83 in the proper direction to advance or retard the shaft l@ with relation to the shaft l2.

The differential 'gear unit 39 acts to vary the speed of the pre-printed web vfeeder F so as to maintain the page forming vsheet lengths of the web 8 in registry with the cutting couple and so in registry with the pages of the'main webs 5 and t, which move in timed relation with the cutting couple. The differential gear unit 39 illustrated is of conventional construction having an input bevel gear B nxed to vthe power input shaft 33 and engaging the bevel gears Bl and S8 rotatably carried by the ring or differential member 89. The bevel gears 3l and B3 engage the output bevel gear BB iiXed to the output shaft 4B. A worm gear Si on the diierential member 89 is engaged by a worm 92 driven by a correction motor Q3.

The differential gear unit `l3!! forms a part of a known mechanism for varying the speed of a web to maintain it in registry with another web or with a cutting couple despite minor variations in the length of the web. This mechanism is here illustrated as made up of the above-described differential gear unit 3'9, the web register mark canner S, a selector mechanism L including a disc 912 secured to or driven by the shaft of the transfer cylinder 33 and disc scanning mechanism associated therewith, a pilot generator 55 driven at a speed proportional to thatof a transfer cylinder, and acontrol mechanism panel Q5. Because this mechanism is known and does not per se comprise the present invention, it will be described herein only generally.

Referring to Figs. `2, 9 and l0, the disc Mci the selector mechanism L contains six pairs of slots ill-493, each pair corresponding to one of the three register marks 45 on each page forming sheet length of the pre-printed web 8. The outer slots 97 are aligned with a stationary photocell 99 having a light admitting slit or aperture lll, and the inner slots 93 are aligned with a stationary photo-cell itl having a light admitting slit or aperture 02. A light source i533 directs light through disc slots which control the admission oi light to the photo-cell apertures. The adjacent ends of the slots 9'! and $.53 of each pair are on the same radial line of the disc 94 `and the apertures it@ and 192 of the respective photocells are slightly displaced circumferentially of the disc, so that as each pair or" slots passes the photo-cells, there is a so-cailed dead zone at which no light is 'admitted to either photo-cell.

The pilot generator 95 is driven by suitable means, such as a chain lill! and sprockets 85 and 196, from the shaft 'ld that drives the transfer cylinder 33. This generator supplies energy for operating the correction motor 93 of the differential gear unit 39. The correction motor 93 runs Acontinuously in one direction at a speed that maintains the pre-printed web feeder'F at such a speed as to feed the'web Vil' at thesameV linear velocity as'themain webs' E'and 6 until correction is required, whereupon the speed of the correction motor 93 is increased or decreased by means of a correction factor applied to the eld excitation of the pilot generator 95. The correction factor is derived by a comparison in time between an impulse obtained by 'the scaner S from a register mark on the web 8 with impulses received from one or the other of the photo-cells 99 or lill of the selector mechanism L.

The control mechanism of the panel 96 receives impulses from the photo-cell dl of the web scanner F and from the photo-cells 91 and lill of the selector mechanism L. It operates in a known manner such that unless simultaneous impulses are received from both the web scanning photo-cell Ali and one only-of the-selector mechanism photo-cells t9 or 400, `no change vis made in the speed at which the correction motor t3 operates. If when an impulse is received from the photo-cell it due to the passage of a register mark le on the web il the transfer cylinder 33 is at the sheet cutting position 'shown in Figs. 4 and 9, then the trailing end of a disc slot El has just passed the aperture it@ of the photo-cell 9d and the leading end of the companion disc slot 98 is just short of the aperture i632 of the photo-cell itl. This is a dead zone position, which indicates that the pre-printed web 8 is in page registry with vthe mainvwebs 5 `and 6 and with the cutting couple so that no adjustment in pre-printed web speed is'reduired. if, however, at the time an impulse Vis received from the web scanning photo-'cell Il? the-disc 9d is short of the dead zone so that `an impulse is also received from the photo-cell 19S and not from vthe photo-cell is l, this indicates that'the pre-printed web 8 should be retarded to maintain page registiy with the main webs and the excitation of the pilot generator is decreased, with the result that the speed of the correction motor 93 is reduced to retard the speed ofthe web feeder F. Similarly, if at the time the web register mark impulse is received from vthe photo-cell il the disc lt has advanced slightly beyond the dead zone so that an impulse is 'also received from the photo-cell I6: and not .from thephoto-cell 99, this indicates that the'pre-printed web `should be accelerated to advanceinto page registry and the exitation of the pilot Vgenerator 95 is Vincreased and the speed of the correction motor 53 accordingly increased to accelerate the web S through the feeder F.

Despite such acceleration or retardation of'the pre-printed web S as-may be required to maintain page registry, the web '8 is maintained under pi'opeitcnsion at all'times due tc the `fact that the peripheral velocity ofthe transfer cylinder 33 is slightly greater than the highest linear velocity attained by the YYweb 8, and this is accomplished, as explained above, by making the periphery of the transfer cylinder-slightly'longer than twice the standard page forming sheet length at which the pre-printed web 8 was originally printed. The pins 55, of the transfercylinder`33 merely tear small slots ill (Fig. 7) in the leadingv margins of the page forming'sheets-of the pre-printed web, vand these. slots increase in length when the-Web .8 is retarded. and decrease in length whenthis web is accelerated.

As each sheet is out from the pre-printed web 3, its leading end is lpierced by the pinsGZon the collecting cylinder and the'sheet is vaccordinglycarried .aroundthe surfacel of" the 'collecting cylinder superimposed uponthemain-fwebf. When the pins 62 reach the point of tangencywith the second main web 6, they also pierce this web and they subsequently tear out of all three webs, as shown in Fig. 6, to form tabs of the superimposed webs, as indicated at il@ in Fig. 6, thus effectively locking the inserted sheet in position with relation to the main webs.

The above-described apparatus is capable of inserting sheets cut from pre-printed webs having page forming sheet lengths slightly shorter than the page forming sheet lengths of the main webs. The majority of newspapers are prin-ted at page forming sheet lengths of 22% or 23% inches, but most multi-color presses print at sheet lengths o f approximately 21%". When it is necessary to thus combine short pre-printed web sheets with longer main web page forming sheet lengths, the apparatus described above may be used, employing the above-described relation between the peripheral length of the transfer cylinder 33 and the maximum length of preprinted web delivered thereto during each revolution thereof, while operating the collecting cylinder i at a peripheral velocity equal to the linear velocity of the main web or webs. Thus, the transfer cylinder 33 will have sheet carrying peripheral portions that are approximately onequarter of one percent to one and one-half percent longer than the page forming sheet lengths of the pre-printed web 3 as. originally printed and before elongation or shrinkage has occurred.

With short pre-printed web sheet lengths, this may result in a peripheral velocity of the transfer cylinder which is less than the linear velocity of the main webs. The peripheral surface of the collecting cylinder t5 moves at a speed equal to the linear' velocity of the main webs, which, in the case described, will be a slightly higher peripheral velocity than that of the transfer cylinder 33, although the transfer and collecting cylinders turn at corresponding angular velocities,

that is, the collecting cylinder makes two revolutions for each revolution of the transfer cylinder. Thus, with the short sheet pre-printed web, the pins 55 and le of the transfer cylinder 33 maintain the pre-'printed web 8 under tension until each sheet is cut therefrom, and as each cut sheet is taken off onto the collecting cylinder l5 by the pins E2, this sheet is accelerated to the main web speed at which the surface of the collecting cylinder moves.

In Figs. l1 and l2 I have illustrated a modified arrangement in which the pre-printed web may be cut longitudinally int-o two portions and one superimposed upon the other-so as to insert into engagement with the main webs .superimposed pre-printed sheets rather than :a single preprinted sheet. In this modification, parts corresponding to those 'of the previously described construction are designated by like reference characters having distinctive exponents. The pre-printed web 8', here illustrated as a full width web, is fed by the feeder F', which is driven 'from the main web press drive through a differential gearing unit 3S', which regulates the preprinted web speed to maintain page registry in the manner described above, employing for this purpose a selecto-r mechanism L', a pilot generator S5', a control panel St and a correction motor 33.

The pre-printed web S emerging from the feeder F passes under the roller H and over the roller ilB where it is longitudinally slit into two parts 8" and 3" by the slitter wheel il?. The part 8 passes around the roller l i3 and around the adjustable compensating roller He,

around the guide roller |20, and over the guide roller l2l,'where the other part 8 of the preprinted web is superimposed on the part 8". The pre-printed web part 8" passes down over a diagonal turning bar |122 and up over -a parallel turning bar 23 and then to the roller lil, where it is superimposed on the pre-printed web part 8". From the roller |21, the superimposed web parts 8" Iand 8 pass under the scanner S', around the guide roller 32 and onto the surface of the transfer cylinder 33', where the superimposed web parts are out intovsuperimposed sheets that are inserted between the main webs 5 and S by the collecting cylinder l5 in the manner described above in connection with the mechanism of Figs. 1-10. The compensating roller H9 is initially adjusted in a known manner to a position in which the parts B and 3"' of the preprinted web 3' are in page registry when they are superimposed at the roller IZI. Aside from the sub-division of the parts of the pre-printed web 3', the modification of Figs. 11 `and 12 opera-tes in the same manner as described above in connection with the apparatus of Figs. 1 through I claim:

1. Apparatus for successively 'cutting page forming sheets from a moving pre-printed web for transfer into page registering contact with at least one moving main web comprising variable speed web feeding means for advancing a preprinted web, a rotary transfer cylinder receiving the pre-printed web from said web feeding means, web piercing means on the peripheral surface of said transfer cylinder for engaging the web fed thereto by said web feedingmeans, a cutting cylinder adjacent said transfer cylinder cooperating therewith to cut sheets from the preprinted web as it is led around the surface of said transfer cylinder by said web piercing means, means for varying the speedfof said web feeding means and means for driving said'transfer cylinder at a peripheral velocity in excess of the highest linear velocity at which the pre-printed web is fed by said web feeding means.

2. Apparatus for successively cutting page forming sheets from a moving pre-printed web for transfer into page registering contact with at least one moving main web comprising main web feeding means, variable speed pre-printed web feeding means for advancing a pre-printed web, a rotary transfer cylinder receiving the pre- 4 printed web from said pre-printed web feeding means, web piercing means on the peripheral surface of said transfer cylinder for engaging the webfed thereto by said pre-printed web feeding means, a cutting cylinder adjacent said transfer cylinder cooperating therewith to cut sheets from the pre-printed web as it is led around the surface of Said transfer cylinder' by said web piercing means, means for varying the speed of said pre-printed web feeding means and driving means for rotating said transfer cylinder in page synchronism with the speed at'which the main web is fed by said main web feeding means, said transfer cylinder having a periphery longer than the maximum length of said pre-printed web fed by said feeding means during each revolution of said transfer cylinder, whereby said pre-printed web is maintained under tension on said transfer cylinder despite Variations in the speed of said pre-printed web feeding means.

3. Apparatus for successively cutting page forming sheets from a moving pre-printed' web and transferring them into page registering contact with atleast .one main web v comprising, Vmain web feeding means, preprinted web feeding means, a variable speed dri-ving connection between said main and plie-printed .web feeding means, a rotary transfer cylinder receiving ,the pre-printed weh Afrom said ,preprinted web feeding means, web piercing Vpins on `the peripheral surface of said transfer vcylinder for engaging the pre-printed web and .carrying it along such surface, a rotary cutting cylinder adjacent said transfer cylinder and cooperating therewith to cut sheets from the preeprinted web carried on said transfer cylinder. means for transfer-ring the sheets so cut from ,Said transfer cylinder into contact with the Vmain web, means for varying said variablespeed driving ,connection and means for driving said transfer cylinder at a peripheral velocity in excess of the highest linear velocity at which the preprinted web is fed .by said preprinted web feeding means.

4. Apparatus for successively .cutting page forming sheets from a moving pre-printed web and transferring them into page registering `c ontact with at least one main web comprising, main web feeding means, pre-printed web feeding means, a variable speed driving connection between said main and ,pre-printed web feeding means, a rotary transfer cylinder receiving the Apre-,printed web from said pre-printed web feeding means, web piercing pins on ythe peripheral surface of said transfer cylinder for engaging the pre-printed web and carrying it along such surface, a rotary cutting cylinder adjacent said transfer cylinder and cooperating therewith to cut sheets from the pre-.printed web carried on said transfer cylinder, means for transferring the sheets so cut from said 'transfer cylinder into con- -tact with the main web, means for varying the variable speed driving connection, and driving means for Arotating said transfer cylinder in page synchronism with the speed at which the main web is fed by said main web feeding means, said transfer cylinder having a periphery longer than the maximum length of pre-printed web fed by said pre-printed web feeding means kduring each revolution of said transfer cylinder, whereby the pre-printed web is maintained Ain tension on said transfer cylinder despite variations in the speed of said pre-printed `weh feeding means.

v5. Apparatus for successively cutting page forming sheets from a moving pre-printed web and transferring them into Apage registering contact with at least one main web comprising, `main web Yfeeding means, pre-printed-web .feeding means, a variable speed driving con.- nection between said main and pre-printed web feeding means, a rotary transfer cylinder receiving the pre-printed web from said preprinted web feeding means, means for driving said transfer cylinder in timed relation to said main web feeding means, -web piercing pins on the peripheral surface of said transfer cylinder for engaging the pre-printed web and carrying it along such surface, a rotary cutting cylinder adjacent said transfer A,cylinder and c ooperating therewith .to cut sheets from the preprinted web carried .on Said transfer cylinder, means for .transferring .the sheets so ,cut lfrom 4Said transfer cylinder inte contact with the main web, and means for varying said variable speed driving connection, said transfer vvcylinder having a periphery longer than the maximum length f pre-printed web V.fed by said pre-printed Web feeding means during leach revolution of said transfer cylinder, whereby the pre-printed web 12 .is maintained in tension on saidtransfer cylinder despite variationsinthespeed of said pre-printed web feeding means.

6. Apparatus for successively cutting page forming sheets from a moving pre-printed web and transferring them into page registering contact with at least one main web comprising, main web Vfeeding mea-ns, pre-printed web feeding means, a variable speed .driving connection loetween said `main and Dre-,printed web feeding means, a rotary transfer .cylinder receiving the pre-printed web from said pre-printed web feeding means, web piercing Y.pins .on the vqzierip-hery of said transfer cylinder forengag-ing the pre-printed web and carrying it `along such periphery, a rotary cutting ,cylinder adjacent said transfer ,cylinder and Vcooperating therewith to cut sheets from the pre-printed web carried on said transfer cylinder, means for transferring the sheets .so cut from .said .transfer vcylinder into Contact withy the main web, means responsive to the relative Positions of page forming sheet lengths of the pre-printed web and the main web for Varying said variable speed `driving connection to maintain ,said webs .in page registry, and means for driving said :transfer .Cylinder .at a peripheral velocity Ain excess of the highest linear velocity at which the pre-,printed web is fed by said preprinted web feeding means.

7. Apparatus vvfor successively cutting page forming' rsheet lengths from a moving pre-,printed web .and transferring them into page registeringt contact with at least one main web comprising. in vcombination with means for printing pages on successive page forming sheet lengths of at least one main web and apre-printed web having pages pre-printed on successive page forming sheet lengths thereof. main web feeding means, preprinted web feeding means, avariable speed driving connection between said main and preprinted web feeding means, a rotary transfer cylinder receiving the pre-printed web from its feeding means, web piercing pins on the peripheral surface of said transfer cylinder for engaging the pre-printed web and carrying it along such surface of said transfer cylinder, a cutting' cylinder adjacent said transfer cylinder and cooperating therewith to out a whole number of page forming sheet lengths from the pre-printed web during each revolution of said transfer cylinder, means for transferring sheets so cut from said pre-printed web 'into contact with said main web, means for driving said transfer cylinder Vin timed relation to said main web feeding means, and means responsive to the -relationbetween the rate of page travel of said `vpre-printed web and the rate of rotation of said transfer cylinder for ing said variable speed driving connection to said pre-printed web feeding lmeans whereby said preprinted web is maintained in :page registry with said main web, said transfer cylinder having a periphery longer than the maximum. length oi said pre-printed web fed by the pre-printed web feeding vmeans during each revolution o!` s aid transfer cylinder, whereby said pre-printed web is maintained in tension on said transfer cylinder despite variations in the speed at which ,Said nre-printed web is fed.

8. Apparatus for successively cutting page forming sheets from a moving pre-printed web and. transferring them into page registering contact with at least one main web comprising, main web feeding means, pre-printed web feeding means, a variable speed driving connection between said main and pre-printed web feeding means, a rotary transfer cylinder receiving the pre-printed web from said pre-printed web feeding means, web piercing pins on the peripheral surface of said transfer cylinder for engaging the pre-printed web and carrying it along such surface, a rotary cutting cylinder adjacent said transfer cylinder and cooperating therewith to cut sheets from the pre-printed web carried on said transfer cylinder, means for varying the variable speed driving connection, said transfer cylinder having a periphery longer than the maxirnum length of pre-printed web fed said preprinted web feeding means during each revolution of said transfer cylinder, whereby the preprinted web is maintained in tension on said transfer cylinder despite variations in the speed of said pre-printed web feeding means, a rotary collecting cylinder having a portion of its cylindrical surface parallel to and adjacent the surface of said transfer cylinder, web piercing on the surface of said collecting cylinder movable H to engage a pre-printed web sheet on said transfer cylinder, means for conducting at least one main web fed by said main web feeding means into contact with the cylindrical surface of said collecting cylinder at a point where it approaches the surface of said transfer cylinder whereby said collecting cylinder pins .pierce said main web and pierce a pre-printed sheet, and subsequently tear out of said pre-printed sheet and said main web during further rotation of said collecting cylinder to form tabs in said sheet and web which secure the sheet to the web.

9. Apparatus for successively cutting page forming sheets from a moving pre-printed web, the page forming sheet length of which varies from the standard sheet length at which it was originally printed, for transfer into page registering Contact with a moving main web of standard page forming sheet length comprising, main web feeding means, variable speed pre-printed web feeding means for advancing the pre-printed web, a rotary transfer cylinder receiving the pre-printed web from said pre-printed web feeding means, web piercing means on the peripheral surface of said transfer cylinder for engaging the web fed thereto by said pre-printed web feeding means, a cutting cylinder cooperating with said transfer cylinder to cut sheets from the preprinted web on the surface of said transfer cylinder, means for varying the speed of said preprinted web feeding means, and driving means for rotating said transfer cylinder in page synchronisrn with the speed at which the main web is fed by said main web feeding means, said transfer cylinder having page forming sheet carrying portions occupying its entire periphery and each longer than the standard page forming sheet length at which the pre-printed web was originally printed, whereby the pre-printed web is maintained under tension on said transfer cylinder despite variations in the speed of said preprinted web feeding means.

l0. Apparatus for successively cutting page forming sheets from a moving pre-printed web, the page forming sheet length of which varies from the standard sheet length at which it was originally printed, for transfer into page registering contact with a moving main web of standard page forming sheet length comprising, main web feeding means variable speed pre-printed web feeding means for advancing the pre-printed web, a rotary transfer cylinder receiving the preprinted web from said pre-printed web feeding means, web piercing means on the peripheral surface of said transfer cylinder for engaging the web fed thereto by said pre-printed web feeding means, a cutting cylinder cooperating with said transfer' cylinder to cut sheets from the preprinted web on the surface of said transfer cylinder, means for varying the speed of said preprinted web feeding means and driving means for rotating said transfer cylinder in page synchronism with the speed at which the main web is fed, by said main web feeding means, said transfer cylinder having page forming sheet carrying portions occupying its entire periphery that are from about one-quarter of one percent to one and one-half percent longer than the standard page forming sheet length at which the preprinted web was originally printed, whereby the pre-printed web is maintained under tension on said transfer cylinder despite variations in the speed of said pre-printed web feeding means.

PAUL L. TOLLTSON.

REFERENCES CITEB The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 278,778 Crowell June 5, 1883 1,546,231 Sheldon June 2, 1925 l,8i9,568 Cobb Mar. 15, 1932 2,118,816 Lamatsch May 31, 1938 2,522,479 Crafts Sept. 12, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 631,694 Great Britain Nov. 8, 1949 

